Which operating system is best for your development
Your developers work in IDEs and even in the terminal window, creating all the software and systems for your business. Without these developers tirelessly working to build programs, your company would hardly be able to function with any degree of efficiency, competence, and reliability.
To use the tools necessary for software development, engineers must use an operating system. Of course, everyone who uses a computer must work with an operating system. That goes without saying. But did you know there is a choice of which OS to use? It's Chrome OS, Linux, macOS, and Windows for desktops and laptops, as well as Android and iOS for mobile devices.
Each operating system has its pros and cons, which applies not only to end users but also to developers. Depending on what your software engineers do, the choice of operating system can mean the difference between high efficiency and accuracy, or lower efficiency across the board.
Let's look at the different types of development and determine which operating system is best suited for each.
Backend Development
Backend development, also called server-side development, is everything under the hood that powers websites, web applications, and various services that help manage a company. Backend development is crucial for virtually all aspects of business operations, and without it, your enterprise will struggle to keep up with demand, supply, and competition.
In backend development, significant attention is paid to databases, backend logic, APIs, servers, and services. What does this mean for your developers? First, it means they must be well acquainted with the environments where these services run. What does that imply? The vast majority of backend services run on the Linux operating system. Consequently, backend developers must know how to use the command line and various methods and tools to interact with the underlying systems.
Thus, the best operating system for backend development is, as you might have guessed, Linux. Fortunately, Linux is not just a server OS. There are many desktop distributions, so your engineers can find a development environment that closely resembles the one they will be developing for.
Frontend Development
Frontend development is what users see. It's the graphical interfaces, UI/UX, and applications through which consumers, clients, and customers interact with your company. Frontend is the user interface that relies on elements like HTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript.
Since most frontend development work is done in a web browser, the operating system is not as critical as in backend development. If the engineer's chosen IDE runs on that OS, then they have a choice. However, keep in mind that the majority of users of your website or web application will be using Chrome, and since Windows is the most used OS on the planet, Windows is likely the best option for these developers.
Additionally, Windows offers the widest range of frontend-oriented tools (such as IDEs, emulators, and debuggers). However, this does not mean Windows is the only option. Since web browsers have become largely universal, your developers can work on any operating system (provided the necessary tools are available).
Mobile Development
Since the majority of global internet traffic now comes from smartphones, mobile development has become one of the hottest market sectors. What does this mean for your developers? It means they need to be top-notch in mobile development.
Fortunately, there are only two platforms to focus on: Android and iOS. For Android, your mobile developers can work on Linux, macOS, or Windows. This is possible for one reason: the Android SDK and required languages (Java and Kotlin) can be installed and used on Linux, macOS, and Windows. However, for iOS, the only platform your developers should use is macOS. Why? Because iOS development on any platform other than macOS is problematic.
Container Development
Containers may or may not be on your radar, but they should be. Containers allow developers to deploy massively scalable services that traditional monolithic applications cannot match. If you plan to grow your business in a way that keeps pace with the ebb and flow of demand, containers are your future.
There are two reasons why only one operating system is the best choice for container development. The first is that every single environment you will use for deploying containers will be Linux. The second reason is that most container development depends on Linux images. This means that the best environment for your engineers' container development is Linux.
Low-Code / No-Code
A new trend has emerged on the horizon, allowing companies to develop applications without requiring extensive coding skills. Both low-code and no-code development is done in the browser, so the choice of operating system doesn't matter. In fact, you can use ChromeOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, or iOS, and it will be equally effective.
Conclusion
Backend, frontend, mobile, container, and low-code/no-code development essentially cover everything your business needs to keep pace with ever-evolving technology. When you are about to provide your developers with the necessary tools, make sure the choice of operating system best matches the task at hand to ensure the most efficient work from your employees.